Life saving devices



Feb. 18, 1964 F. M KENZIE LIFE SAVING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 30, 1962 Feb. 18, 1964 F. M KENZIE LIFE SAVING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30, 1962 m3 Am mm. A

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r' 3,lZl,Z4 Ice Patented Feb. 18, 1964 3,121,240 LIFE SAVING DEVIQES Forbes MacKenzie, 108 Arlington St., Hyde Park, Mass. Filed An". 30, 1962, Ser. No. 220,374 12 Claims. (Cl. 9-316) The present invention relates to life saving devices for use in ellecting rescues from the water and is an improvement on my Patent No. 2,463,191, dated March 1, 1949.

In making rescues from the water life preservers of the conventional type are often of no value. In the case of a person who has lost consciousness or is violently struggling but panic stricken, it is necessary for someone to swim to the victims aid. In such a case, a life preserver would seriously impede the rescuer but Without some assisting device, the rescuer is not only in danger from the drowning person but also is minimizing his chance of bringing the victim to safety.

In the above referred to pa ent, there is disclosed a device including a handle to which is attached a bladder or sheath within which there are a pair of members including lever portions pivotally connected to the handle. The bladder is formed with two arms or portions which are spaced to receive between them the neck of a victim and the members have end portions so disposed towards each other that when the lever portions are wedged apart, the portions move towards each other to close the bladder about the victims neck to hold him securely while being towed to safety.

The device of the patent also includes a lever controlled means actuated by the rescuer to drive a cam to force the lever portions of the members apart and the means also were operable, when thus actuated, to rupture a pair of cartridges, charged with carbon dioxide, with the released gas inflating the bladder.

The objectives of the present invention are concerned, in general, with improvements relating to the construction, operation and uses of life saving devices of the above described type and in particular with the handle construction and with the operating means.

In accordance with the present invention, the handle includes a body having a chamber extending from end-toend thereof and a pistol grip provided with a trigger located at the rear end of the body which end is closed by a removable breech plug. The cam is slidable in the chamber rearwardly of the lever portions and the operating means includes at least one gas charged cartridge having a rupturable seal and advanced when the trigger is pulled, a holder including a firing pin disposed towards and in alinement with the seal, and a spring interposed between the holder and the cartridge yieldably maintaining them apart so that the cartridge and .holder move as a unit, preferably until the bladder is locked in place on the victims neck. The resistance of the spring is then overcome so that the firing pin pierces the seal to release the bladder-inflating gas.

Another objective is to employ two such cartridges with their seals disposed towards each other and with the firing pin holder having axial bosses and located between the cartridges. Springs are provided, one for each cartridge and fitting its neck and one of the bosses thus to ensure their alinement even though the cartridges and the holder freely fit the handle chamber.

Another objective of the invention is to provide the pistol grip with a releasable latch automatically locking the trigger in a position in which the device is held attached to the victim against accidental release.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be apparent.

In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal section taken lengthwise of a life saving device in accordance with the invention, showing its open or inoperative position and with its closed or operative position being indicated by dotted lines,

FIGURE 2 is a like section of the handle on a substantially increased scale, the parts being shown in their closed, operative position,

FIGURE 3 is a section taken substantially along the indicated lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, elevational View of the cartridge'piercing pin, and

FEGURE 5 is a cross sectional view thereof on an increased scale.

The life saving device shown in the drawings has a handle including a tubular body 1d and a rear-wardly located pistol grip 11. The body It provides an axial, open-ended chamber 12 which is interiorly threaded, in its rear end as at 13, to receive the threaded breech plug 14. The front end of the body 1%} is in the form of an enlarged holder 15 having an axial counter bore 16 slidably receiving the cylindrical portion 17 of a cam 18 and providing a rearward shoulder 19 as a seat therefor. The counter bore 16 has a pair of diametrically opposed channels 20 terminating short of the seat 19' and in a plane inclusive of the pistol grip 11. The holder 15 is partly divided at its open end by alined slots 21, each intersecting a respective one of the channels 20.

The device includes a bladder or sheath 22 which is shown as approximately U-shaped thus to provide a pair of arms 22A spaced apart to provide an open-ended slot 228 of suflicient width to freely receive a persons neck. At the closed end of the U-shaped bladder 22 there is a neck 23 drawn over and sealed to the holder 15. Within the bladder 22, there are a pair or" generally indicated arcuate members 24, one for each bladder arm 22A and extending therein, with their free ends disposed towards each other. Each member 24 includes a skeletal frame 25, conveniently formed from a length of lightweight, tubular stock, with its ends anchored to a lever 26. Each lever 26 is dimensioned to fit within a channel 20 and has a laterally projecting portion 26A providing a shoulder 26B and is held in the holder 15 by a pivot 27 with the portion 26A disposed in the associated slot 21. Each lever 26 protrudes into the counter bore 16 and has its free end curved as at 26C for coactive engagement with the cam 18. Exteriorly of the holder 15, the levers 26 have studs 28 disposed towards each other and entrant of the ends of a coiled compression spring 29 thus to hold it securely in place.

The spring 29 is operative to establish a normal position of the members 24 within the bladder 22 in which position the lever shoulders 26B engage the ends of the slots 21, the free ends of the members 24 are spaced apart to the maximum extent, and the curved lever ends 26C are held together to be wedged apart by the cam 18.

Within the chamber 12, there is a pair of cartridges 36, each shown as of the type charged with carbon dioxide under pressure and with its neck Sit-A closed by a rupturable seal 36B. The cartridges 3t) are disposed with their seals 319B towards each other but yieldably held apart as by coiled alining springs 31 dimensioned to receive the cartridge necks SllA and an appropriate one of the alined bosses 3 2 on opposite ends of the cylindrical holder 33 which is a free fit within the chamber 12. The holder 33 has a diametrically disposed vent 33A intersected by an axial bore 333 in which a firing pin 3-4 is fixed. The firing pin 34 has th ends 34A exposed and pointed and interconnected by a lengthwise channel 343 providing a vent insuring communication with the vent 33A when a cartridge seal 36B is pierced thereby.

The breech plug 14 has an axial bore 14A slidably supporting the plunger 35 carrying a seal 36, The plunger 35 has a head 35A on its exposed end while its chamberentering end has an axial bore 353 in which an adjusting screw 37 is threaded and is used in adjusting the relationship of the associated parts so as to insure the desired operation of the devices, as will presently be detailed. In the normal position of the device, the springs 31 yieldably hold the cartridges 3% so that each is remote from the adjacent firing pin end 34A but alined therewith, one cartridge 36' being seated against the cam portion 17 and the other against the breech block 14.

The pistol grip 11 has a slot 11A extending lengthwise thereof and opening towards the front and in communication with an open-ended slot 11B extending from front to-rear of the grip l1 adiacent the body Iii. A generally indicated trigger 39 is pivoted as at 49 in the slot 118 and includes an end portion 39A in engagement with the plunger head 35A and a manually engageable portion 393 whose normal position is, as shown in FIGURE 1, exposed for ease of engagement and operation.

When the trigger portion 393 is pulled to enter it into the slot 11A, the plunger 35 is driven forwardly, advancing the rearward cartridge 30, and it is preferred that the alining springs 31 offer sufiicient resistance as to cause such movement to be attended by like movement of the holder 33 and the forward cartridge 3b, as a unit, the movement of which advances the cam 18 to force the levers 26 apart, thus to close the bladder 22 about the victims neck, preferably in advance of the inflation thereof. When the levers 2-6 are seated in the bottom of the channels 20, the springs 31 yield, causing the holder 33 to move until the firing pin ends 34A pierce the seals 30B of both cartridges 3%. At the end of the travel of the trigger 39, the ends of the necks 39A of both cartridges seat against the bosses 32.

With the rupturing of the cartridge seals, gas flows forwardiy into the bladder 22 and it will be noted that the cam 18 has an eccentrically located bore 18A extending from end-to-end thereof to ensure unrestricted flow of the bladder inflating gas.

It will also be noted that there is a latch 41 mounted on a transverse pivot 42 in the lower part of the pistol grip slot 11A and this is forced against a stop surface 43 by a spring 4-4. The free end of the trigger portion 398 is formed with a shoulder 39C which is operative, as the trigger is pulled, to engage and swing the latch 41 against the action of the spring '44 so that it will engage with the notch 39D, thereby to hold the trigger 39 against unintended release in a position in which the cam 18, and, accordingly, the members 24 are locked in their operative positions.

The pistol grip 11 is provided with an apertured projection Gl'IlC through which is looped one end of a cord 45 which is preferably of suflicient length to enable the rescuer, once the device has been applied, to tow the victim to safety, without being too close to him. The use of a floating cord is preferred.

In practice, the rescuer, whether or not the drowning person is under water, makes his approach from the rear and slips the device about the victims neck and pulls the trigger. Because of the length of the body 19 and its pistol grip 11, the rescuer can apply the device, using only one hand and without being dangerously close to the victim. While the victim is so held that he cannot escape, the neck encirclement cannot cause choking or the sensation thereof because of the low gas pressure to which the bladder is preferably subjected. A pressure in the order of three pounds has proved adequate and enables, if the'device is used as a free floating ring, several persons to derive adequate support therefrom.

The actual construction of the device is such that it will float without being inflated, although it is not so buoyant as to make it difficult to take it below the surface of the water. When the device is inflated, the size of the bladder is such that, when the device is freely floating,

the plane of the bladder is approximately vertical and it rides high making it readily visible. This buoyancy is also important as, with the ends of the bladder under the victims chin, he is properly held in a safe position while being towed to safety. He may be, if necessary, left alone, supported only by the device, While the rescuer tries to save another victim. 7

Once a rescue has been made, the deviceis still operable, if its re-use is immediately needed. Even if one cartridge should prove defective, the other will inflate the bladder sufficiently to permit a rescue to be made and, after use, the spent cartridges can be quickly and easily removed and replaced.

I claim:

1. In a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and a pistol grip at the rear end of said body, a breech plug closing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said chamber, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck,,a

pair of members within said bladder, one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including: lever portions at their rear ends extending into the front end of said chamber and pivoted to said body, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck when the free ends of the lever portions are forced apart, a cam slidable in said chamber rearwardly of said lever portions and engageable therewith and operable to force:

them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said chamber between said breech plug and said cam and engaged by said trigger to move said cam forwardly when said trigger is pulled, said means including at least one gas containing cartridge including a seal, a holder including a firing pin disposed towards said seal and in alinement therewith, and a spring interposed between said holder and said cartridge yieldably maintaining them apart.

2. In a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and.

a pistol grip at the rear end of said body, a breech plug closing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said chamber, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck, a pair of members within said bladder,

one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including lever portions at their rear ends extending into the front end of said chamber and pivoted to said body, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck when the free ends of .7 the lever portions are forced apart, a cam slidable inl said chamber rearwardly of said lever portions and engageable therewith and operable toforce them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said chamber between said breech plug and said cam and engaged by said trigger to move said cam forwardly when said trigger is pulled, said means including at least one gas containing cartridge including a seal, a holder including 'a firing pin disposed towards said seal and in alinement therewith, and a spring'interposed between said holder and said cartridge yieldably maintaining them apart and latch means locking said trigger in the position it occupies when the cartridge seal is punctured and the bladder arms are securedabout the victims neck.

3. In a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and a pistol grip at the'rear end of said body, a breech plug closing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said chamber, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck, a pair of members within said bladder, one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including lever portions at their rear ends extending into the front end of said chamber and pivoted to said body, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck when the free ends of the lever portions are forced apart, a cam slidable in said chamber rearwardly of said lever portions and engageable therewith and operable to force them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said chamber between said breech plug and said cam and engaged by said trigger to move said cam forwardly when said trigger is pulled, said means including at least one gas containing cartridge including a seal, a holder including a firing pin disposed towards said seal and in alinement therewith, and a spring interposed between said holder and said cartridge maintaining them apart until the bladder arms are secured about the victims neck, then yielding on further trigger movement to bring said firing pin into seal puncturing relationship to said cartridge.

4. In a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and a pistol grip at the rear end of said body, a breech plug closing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said chamber, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck, a pair of members within said bladder, one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including lever portions at their rear ends extending into the front end of said chamber and pivoted to said body, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck when the free ends of the lever portions are forced apart, a. cam slidable in said chamber rearwardly of said lever portions and engageable therewith and operable to force them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said chamber between said breech plug and said cam and engaged by said trigger to move said cam forwardly when said trigger is pulled, said means including a pair of gas containing cartridges each including an end seal, said sealed ends being disposed towards each other, a holder between said cartridges and including a firing pin, both ends of said firing pin being pointed and exposed beyond the opposite ends of said holder in alinement with said seals and a spring interposed between each cartridge and said holder yieldably maintaining them apart.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the holder has a radial vent and the firing pin intersects the vent and has a lengthwise channel in communication with the vent.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the sealed ends of the cartridges are necked, the ends of the holder are bosses, and the springs are coiled, each spring having one end fitted over a necked cartridge end and the other end fitted over the adjacent boss.

7. The device of claim 4 in which there is a plunger slidable ayially of the breech plug and extending therethrough, the exposed end of the plunger being engaged by the trigger and the inner end being in contact with the rearmost cartridge.

8. The device of claim 4 in which there is a plunger slidable axially of the breech plug and extending therethrough, said plunger including a threaded extension en- 6 abling its overall length to be varied, the exposed end of the plunger being engaged by the trigger and the inner end being in contact with the rearmost cartridge.

9. In a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and a pistol grip at the rear end of said body, a breech plug vclosing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said charnber, said bladder being relatively fiat when not inflated, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck, a pair of members within said bladder, said members being in a plane inclusive of said pistol grip, one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including leve-r portions at their rear ends extending into the front end of said chamber and pivoted to said body, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck when the free ends of the lever portions are forced apart, a cam slidable in said chamber rearwardly of said lever portions and engageable therewith and operable to force them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said chamber between said breech plug and said cam and engaged by said trigger to move said cam forwardly when said trigger is pulled, said means including at least one gas containing cartridge including a seal, a holder including a firing pin disposed towards said seal and in alinement therewith, and *a spring interposed between said holder and said cartridge yieldably maintaining them apart.

10. in a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and an enlarged holder at its front end, the front end of the chamber having a counter-bore, defining a seat and a pair of diametrically opposed channels and a pistol grip at the rear end of said body, a breech plug closing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said chamber, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck, a pair of members within said bladder, one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including lever portions at their rear ends extending into the counter bore one in each channel and pivoted to said holder, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck when the free ends of the lever portions are forced apart, a cam slidable in said chamber rearwardly of said lever portions and engageable therewith and operable to force them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said chamber between said breech plug and said cam and connected to move said cam forwardly when said trigger is pulled, said means including at least one gas containing cartridge including a seal, a holder including a iii-ring pin disposed towards said seal and in alinement therewith, and a spring interposed between said holder and said cartridge yieldably maintaining them apart.

11. In a life saving device, a handle including a body having a chamber extending from end-to-end thereof and a pistol grip at the rear end of said body, a breech plug closing the rear end of said chamber, a bladder secured to the front end of said body with its interior in communication with said chamber, said bladder including a pair of arm portions spaced to straddle a persons neck, a pair of members within said bladder, one for each arm portion and extending therein, said members including lever portions at their rear ends extending into the front end of said chamber and pivoted to said body, the front ends of said members being disposed towards each other and moving the ends of said bladder arm portions towards each other to secure the device about the victims neck S when the free ends of the lever portions are forced apart, disposed towards said seal and in alinement therewith, a cam slidable in said chamber rearwardly of said lever and a spring interposed between said holder and said 1 portions and engageable therewith and operable to force cartridge yieldably maintaining them apart.

them apart when moved forwardly, a trigger carried by 12. The device of claim 11 in which the plunger is said pistol grip, and axially movable means within said 5 longitudinally extensible.

chamber between said breech plug and said cam and engaged by said trigger to move said cam forwardly when References flied in the file of this patent said trigger is pulled, said means including a plunger movable by said trigger, at least one gas containing oar- UNITED STATES PATENTS tridge including a seal, a holder including a firing pin 10 2,463,191 MaeKenzie Mar. 1, 1949 

1. IN A LIFE SAVING DEVICE, A HANDLE INCLUDING A BODY HAVING A CHAMBER EXTENDING FROM END-TO-END THEREOF AND A PISTOL GRIP AT THE REAR END OF SAID BODY, A BREECH PLUG CLOSING THE REAR END OF SAID CHAMBER, A BLADDER SECURED TO THE FRONT END OF SAID BODY WITH ITS INTERIOR IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER, SAID BLADDER INCLUDING A PAIR OF ARM PORTIONS SPACED TO STRADDLE A PERSON''S NECK, A PAIR OF MEMBERS WITHIN SAID BLADDER, ONE FOR EACH ARM PORTION AND EXTENDING THEREIN, SAID MEMBERS INCLUDING LEVER PORTIONS AT THEIR REAR ENDS EXTENDING INTO THE FRONT END OF SAID CHAMBER AND PIVOTED TO SAID BODY, THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND MOVING THE ENDS OF SAID BLADDER ARM PORTIONS TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO SECURE THE DEVICE ABOUT THE VICTIM''S NECK WHEN THE FREE ENDS OF THE LEVER PORTIONS ARE FORCED APART, A CAM SLIDABLE IN SAID CHAMBER REARWARDLY OF SAID LEVER PORTIONS AND ENGAGEABLE THEREWITH AND OPERABLE TO FORCE THEM APART WHEN MOVED FORWARDLY, A TRIGGER CARRIED BY SAID PISTOL GRIP, AND AXIALLY MOVABLE MEANS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID BREECH PLUG AND SAID CAM AND ENGAGED BY SAID TRIGGER TO MOVE SAID CAM FORWARDLY WHEN SAID TRIGGER IS PULLED, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE GAS CONTAINING CARTRIDGE INCLUDING A SEAL, A HOLDER INCLUDING A FIRING PIN DISPOSED TOWARDS SAID SEAL AND IN ALINEMENT THEREWITH, AND A SPRING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID HOLDER AND SAID CARTRIDGE YIELDABLY MAINTAINING THEM APART. 